Linear Paths: The Doctor and Avery
by pindergast
Summary: After the Doctor's travels with Martha Jones, he recruits Avery Talon, a curious, enigmatic companion, to follow him on all of his adventures, but all the while, a mysterious figure lurks in the shadows ..waiting : Rated T for some violence and language
1. The Raven: Part 1

**-The Raven-**

_'Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,  
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore. While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door— "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more.'_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

-December 24, 1845-

Her search continued. An endless array of dusty volumes stood before her. She had only gone through half of them, yet she couldn't find anything.

_I am never going to find it._

She pushed these thoughts aside. If she didn't find it…well, she didn't want to find out.

The town's records at the library were no help. Although, she wasn't surprised. 19th century records couldn't be too reliable.

So she had resorted to encyclopedias, compilations, or journals left around the house. But she had an even smaller chance of finding it.

As she flipped through an ornithology reference book, she paused. A sketch of a raven had covered the original painting of a finch. Drawn in charcoal, the image was left with a small note in the corner, written in shaky, panicked handwriting.

"Finally", she whispered to herself.

The note was hard to make out—some of the letters were smudged.

_Do—t let it s—l you- f—r_

_Its talons will s—l the bl— of anyon-_

_who da— cross his –th, cli— his –ng-_

Just as she finished reading, she heard a distant sound of a door slamming.

_Oh, perfect timing. _

She quickly flagged the page in the book and hid it beneath a nearby desk. Another door suddenly closed.

It was getting closer.

She ran to the other side of the study, where a door led to the back garden. Locked, of course. That's what it was good at.

Kneeling down, she tried to pick the lock with a twig she found on the floor. Nothing. She began to panic. It could only lock one door at a time before another opened. She figured that out far too late into her stay. The only thing she could do was wait for it to enter.

So she sat, listening to the echoes of its journey, making its way through the maze of locked and unlocked doors. The sounds began to divert away from the study, but soon made its way closer and closer.

It hadn't memorized the layout of the house yet, as she had. It was still learning.

She stood, placing one hand on the door knob behind her, and one reaching for a poker near the fire-place.

The echoes were only a few rooms away.

She prepared herself, gripping onto the doorknob tightly.

One more slam from across the hall, then silence. Surely, it was just outside the study.

The silence lasted for what seemed to be hours, echoing louder that the distant slamming.

Just as her grip on the door began to relax, she heard the familiar tapping on the chamber door. Except, the tapping did not come from the opposite door—it came from the one she currently guarded.

She froze, not able to think, to plan what to do next. She spun around running to the other side, but it was too late. It made its way into the study, opening and closing the door quietly, softly…sympathetically.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

As soon as the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, he scuttled back inside, shaking the snow out of his hair and searching for his coat.

"Oh, is it snowing? So much for 'Viva Las Vegas'," Martha sighed.

"More like a blizzard out there. I don't think we're in Vegas…" he muttered.

The Doctor reached over to a small screen and pulled it closer so both he and his companion could see.

"Boston, Massachusetts! 19th century—how Victorian. Christmas Eve, 1845," he remarks before jogging around the TARDIS looking for his coat.

"1845—what a year. The US annexes Texas and Florida. 'The Raven' by Edgar Allan Poe is published. Pittsburg is half-destroyed by a fire. The Great Famine begins in Ireland. And the rubber band is patented in the UK," he smirked. Martha couldn't help but grin at the last bit.

"But why would the TARDIS take us to Boston?" the Doctor asked himself.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The Doctor and Martha walked down a cobblestone path, not knowing where they were going. The snowstorm obscured the landscape, and they could only see a few yards in front of them.

"I don't think this is Boston. There would be more….stuff. We might be just outside of the city," the Doctor observed.

Martha continued shivering. "L-l-look, let's just g-go. There's n-nothing out here."

The Doctor was cold himself, and figured he wouldn't last much longer in this weather. And Martha was right. They won't go anywhere in such a storm. He nodded, and began to turn back in the direction of the TARDIS.

But before he walked any further, a faint silhouette caught his attention. Not too far away stood a mansion of sorts, and the cobblestone path diverted in its direction. The Doctor stared at the structure before him, and as he gazed through the snow, he could make out the smaller details of his surroundings. The storm must have been settling.

"Doctor," Martha yelled over the heavy wind, "which way is the TARDIS?"

He snapped out of gaze and turned his attention towards Martha. Letting her question register, he spun around, wondering the same thing. He turned back to the mansion, but couldn't remember which way they were going.

"I dunno," the Doctor raised a suspicious eyebrow, "that's weird…"

This never happened. They hadn't wandered very far. The snow began to fall slowly, and a large, blue police box would certainly stand out amidst the storm. It was as if it disappeared.

He ran his fingers through his hair, wondering what to do. He turned back to the mansion and saw that Martha had seen it, too.

"Why don't we ask them for help? Or at least find some sort of shelter. Then when the storm passes, we can look for the TARDIS."

"_What?_ You mean, the TARDIS is _gone?!_"

"Well…"

"How can it be gone?!"

"Honestly, I don't know. But we can't stay in this blizzard until it shows up again."

"And you think asking the creepy caretaker of an old mansion in the middle of nowhere for help is the best plan? This is straight out of a horror film!"

"Who says he's creepy?"

Martha sighed. There really was no other alternative. She held up her arms as if to surrender, and the Doctor stepped onto the path leading towards the mansion with Martha close behind.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

When they arrived at the main entrance, Martha stepped up the ornate door knocker. Hesitantly, she knocked four times. As they waited, the Doctor thought he heard a series of door's slamming.

After a minute or so, the door opened, letting both inside. Martha turned around to thank whoever had opened it, but no one stood behind them.

"Horror film," she muttered.

The Doctor shrugged it off and began exploring the foyer. It looked like it hadn't been properly used for years. The tables were covered in dust and the carpet was torn and musty. Just above the staircase, a glass chandelier was suspended by three of its four cables. The few windows were dirty, but he could see the smallest sign of a topiary garden outside, covered with a thick blanket of snow. A few candles were scattered here and there, and a few were still lit.

"Someone still lives here," the Doctor whispered.

He inspected the rest. Just as he suspected, a few were still dripping with hot wax. Someone had just blown them out.

Martha stayed by the door, which was still open, as though she were ready to bolt at any moment. She saw the snow beginning to pile by the entrance, so she left the door open just a crack.

"It's a big house, Martha. Best we stay together."

Martha nodded in agreement and hurried over in his direction.

The Doctor was scanning a painting when they heard a door slam down the hallway, making them both jump.

They ran towards the sound, hoping to run into the mansion's resident. The hallway turned, leading them down a long corridor, but when they saw the dead end, they began to try the various doors, but all of them were locked.

As the Doctor fiddled with one of the doors, Martha found one that was unlocked. Quietly, she entered, leaving the Doctor to struggle with the endless doorways.

Inside, she didn't find the mysterious resident, but another hallway. Only, there were no doors—just a long room with a mirror at the end. On either side, there was a small table with a vases and wilted flowers.

Outside, she could hear the rattling of doorknobs as the Doctor tried to open them.

Martha stepped closer to the mirror. There was something in the reflection that didn't seem…right. As she came closer, she saw something in the mirror behind her. Startled, she turned around, looking to the top of the doorway, where an intricately carved border sat above the entrance. But sitting atop the chamber door was a raven.

Martha gasped, but quickly assumed that it was a fake, or even a stuffed raven. She stared at it, looking for any signs of breathing, just to be sure. After a minute or so, she was convinced it was just taxidermy.

She then realized that the Doctor had stopped rattling the doorknobs. Perhaps he had found another unlocked door.

"Doctor?" she yelled, beginning to step out of the room. Before she could leave, the raven, sitting above the door, twitched. Martha stared in disbelief.

_It's just my eyes playing tricks—_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the raven, spreading its wings in a hostile manner. Its beak opened, letting out a shrill caw. Its eyes glowed red, and its feathers ruffled, making itself seem larger and more intimidating.

A small scream escaped her, but not loud enough for anyone to hear over the piercing shriek.

Martha stumbled back, not knowing what to do. A stuffed raven was coming to life. What was she supposed to do?

Her eyes were trained on the raven, watching closely to see what it would do. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure standing at the door. She snapped her head to see who it was. It wasn't the Doctor.

"Run."

Having been used to the word, Martha complied. She ran as fast as she could, running alongside the girl who had possibly saved her life. The girl led her through endless hallways and corridors, taking unexpected turns through rooms and passageways. They still heard the raven behind them, cawing.

Martha also heard doors slamming behind them. She wondered if it was the Doctor.

"Who's closing all of those doors?" she asked as they continued running.

The girl didn't answer. She just looked at Martha with a grim expression, as though she didn't want to answer.

She took a key out of her pocket and stopped suddenly at a door, which she frantically unlocked.

Once inside, they leaned against the door as the girl locked it from the inside. Panting, they slowly sat down. They were in some sort of music room: a piano sat at one end, and a harp at the other. Several music stands stood with chairs and sofas, and pages of sheet music were strewn all over the floor. A broken cello was carelessly thrown in a pile next to various flutes and horns.

Martha turned to the girl sitting next to her, and found that she was staring at her intently.

She looked as though she was about to say something, but Martha interjected.

"_What the hell was that_?"

The girl sighed. "I'm Avery, by the way, and I just saved your life. Nice to finally meet you, Martha."

"That couldn't have been a real raven, right? It was some sort of alien or robot…thing. Oh, god. Where's the Doctor?" she paused, registering what Avery had said, "How do you know my name?"

Martha finally got to see the girl who sat before her. She was young, no older than fifteen. Her face was small, which emphasized her round, blue eyes. She had a long, blonde braid that had been pulled to the front. Strands of light hair had escaped, falling over her face, which had been scratched a few times, probably by the raven.

She had an American accent, but not one that you would expect to find in New England—perhaps the West coast.

Martha noticed her clothing was not at all Victorian. In fact, it was similar to what she herself was wearing—a brown, knitted jacket, black jeans, and tall, black combat boots.

And in a small scabbard hanging off of her belt, was a dagger.

Martha instinctively shivered at the sight of a child with a weapon. But at the same time, she was cold.

"Yeah, it's kind of chilly in here," she remarked, noticing Martha shiver. She took off her coat and handed it to Martha, who kindly accepted the extra warmth.

Martha gasped inwardly when she saw the gauze wrapped around Avery's shoulder, blood beginning to seep and stain the white cloth.

"Oh my god. What happened?"

"Sharp talons. I wouldn't mess with them," she smirked, trying to lighten the mood.

"And you're right. It's not a raven. I haven't exactly figured it out yet, but I'm guessing it's some sort of cyborg. I've compiled all of the information I have so far. Wanna see?"

Before Martha could respond, Avery jogged over to a table near the windows. She opened the top lid, revealing a pile of books and loose papers. Drawings, sketches, writings, all about the raven that resided in this mansion.

Avery and Martha looked through them, slowly putting the pieces together. Formal introductions would have to wait.

Meanwhile, the Doctor kept following the sounds of doors slamming, trying to find someone, anyone.

It didn't take him long to realize Martha had wandered off. And after he heard that sound…

He wasn't sure what it was. It was like a crow or raven, but at the same time, sounded alien.

The mansion was a maze. He wandered down corridor after corridor, and eventually gave up trying to pick locks and resorted to finding Martha.

He somehow managed to return to the foyer. Though, something was different from when they had left it.

The Doctor looked down at the dusting of snow in front of the door, having been scraped away.

Martha hadn't closed the door when they left. Now it was.

But before he could ponder this, he was startled by a knock at the front door.

The Doctor paused, but the knocking continued. He slowly moved towards the door, and came to the window, peering outside to see who the visitor was.

When he saw the familiar face, standing just outside, something clicked. The sounds he had heard before, the raven, the doors. The man standing outside might be the explanation for it all. The Doctor couldn't help but laugh at his realization. This was going to be an amazing night.

He opened the door and kindly greeted his guest.


	2. The Raven: Part 2

**-The Raven-**

Part 2

_"And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted—nevermore!"_

_-Edgar Allan Poe_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Avery and Martha sat on the floor, rifling through an endless amount of papers while Avery told her everything she knew about the Raven.

"I've disabled it before," she reached to her belt and pulled out a small, black box with two metal stubs at the end, "with this."

"Is that a—a stun gun?"

"Yeah. I found this scabbard lying around—thought it would work as a nice holster."

"You—you just found a scabbard. Lying around. _Who finds that sort of thing? _And what are you doing in this place—why haven't you left? You haven't told me anything about yourself. You're obviously not from…around here, so what are you doing here?"

"You really do like to go off-topic, don't you? Anyway, this temporarily disables it and unlocks all of the doors—"

"Does _what_?"

Avery sighed, "I thought you had figured that out by now. The Raven has a mechanism similar to the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. It can lock and unlock doors as it chooses, but not so selectively. All of the doors in this place have been rigged to work with the Raven. When it locks one door, another unlocks, and vice-versa. It creates a maze of doors that only it can follow."

"How do you know about the Doctor's sonic?"

"That's why the doors keep slamming. It's making its way through the house by securing the path it already took. You can't really follow or sneak up on it without critical planning."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I haven't answered a lot of your questions. But I _will_ answer the ones that determine life or death," Avery glared at Martha, finalizing the conversation.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Doctor?!" he exclaimed when he saw the familiar face at the door.

"Edgar!" The Doctor gleefully shook the poet's hand, w

ho was still shivering. The storm outside hadn't settled as he expected it to.

He stepped aside to let Poe inside.

"What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was just about to ask the same. I thought you weren't one for domestic life."

"No, no, I don't live here. I'm here for another…well…you know. Thing."

The Doctor had met Edgar Allan Poe not long ago. His house was infiltrated by a swarm of hornet-like aliens, and of course, the Doctor was there to help. He even went with Poe to propose the publishing deal for 'The Raven'. Obviously successful, with a bit of persuasion, courtesy of the Doctor.

"I'm not surprised. I should just leave you to it, then. I got lost on my way to the city—visiting a few friends for Christmas. The storm was getting worse, and I stumbled upon this place…" he peered behind the Doctor to get a better view of his surroundings, "…or, shack."

"Well, actually, you might want to stick around for this. Could pique your interest, if you know what I mean," the Doctor flapped his arms to resemble wings.

"…No…really?" he laughed.

"Really. I honestly don't think it's dangerous. Mostly just making a hell of a ruckus," and as if on cue, another door slammed. The Doctor pointed in its direction to prove his point.

"But—ravens can't close doors."

"You obviously don't know me well enough, then," the Doctor smirked.

He chuckled inwardly. They were planning an alien investigation as if they were planning a luncheon.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"I couldn't find a way to permanently disable it. It wakes up a few minutes later, like it repairs itself, or something. But I _did _manage to get a look inside. It runs like clockwork—a bunch of gears, springs. But its feathers hide all of that. Thus, it takes the shape of a raven."

Avery continued her explanation, but Martha was completely lost.

She had gathered this much: the Raven was acting as a reconnoitering robot, taking samples and gathering information around the house—dust particles, plant life, even human blood samples. It stores these in random areas around the mansion, which Avery has been able to locate. But it has its own defense system—when it feels threatened, it will attack.

However, it _has_ attacked when someone wasn't imposing any threat. Avery determined that it can sense adrenaline and dopamine, both are samples it wants to obtain. So when someone was either immensely scared or incredibly happy, you could expect the Raven to be close by.

She hasn't determined why it's gathering sample or who for. The Doctor could probably help with that.

"Why a raven? Out of everything it could have been? A raven?"

"Whoever issued this thing doesn't know much about this planet. Based solely on observations, they found a form that they figured wouldn't stand out too much among humans."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"This is 1845. You know what happened last January?"

Martha remembered what the Doctor had told her in the TARDIS when they first arrived. This was the year 'The Raven' by Edgar Allan Poe was published. It was an instant sensation in American pop culture. They must have misinterpreted their data, thinking that ravens were on every street corner.

"Right. Well, it doesn't sound like a hostile mission. Why are you so keen on destroying it?"

"If this race wants information on something like human blood, I doubt they'll just satisfy their curiosity."

She was right. Their intentions couldn't have been so friendly. Martha nodded.

"Why _this_ house? What's so special about it?"

"I don't know for sure, but I have a theory. This is where Edgar Allan Poe supposedly got his inspiration for 'The Raven'. I don't know why that would matter, but…"

Just then, the two heard voices outside in the hallway.

"It wasn't so…dilapidated last I was here," they heard a male voice say.

"Was it ever occupied?" Martha recognized the Doctor's voice.

"I can't remember—", but before he could finish, Martha ran to the door and, to Avery's dismay, opened it. She nearly ran into the unfamiliar man, but just as she was about to apologize, she realized who it was.

"Edgar Allan Poe," she whispered, more to herself than to him.

"Yes," he coughed awkwardly, "yes, that's…me."

Martha turned to the Doctor, "That's Edgar Allan Poe."

"That is Edgar Allan Poe."

"I just met Edgar Allan Poe."

"Yes, and I would very much like to know _your _name, madam."

Martha snapped out of her gaze and held out a hand, "So sorry—er—Martha, Dr. Martha Jones."

"A female doctor. Another modern adaption, I presume?"

"Yeah, I get that a lot…"

Avery stepped into the doorway, "Everyone inside. Introductions can wait," she whispered. Martha, who was the only one who knew about the Raven, complied. The Doctor and Poe stepped inside, puzzled by the sudden command.

As soon as the door was closed behind them, Avery ran to the Doctor and threw her arms around him, laughing. Much to his surprise, the Doctor looked down at the girl, and to be polite, more than anything, hugged back.

She sensed his hesitation and pulled away with a confused expression.

"What's wrong?" She tried to keep a serious face, but she couldn't help a small smile.

The Doctor looked at her quizzically. He searched his memories, looking for a match, but could find nothing. He only stood there, trying his best to look apologetic without looking absolutely bewildered.

"C'mon, stop it. What's wrong?" she asked in a much more serious tone.

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair. "I'm really sorry, but…oh, I'm usually good with faces…"

Avery breath caught. She looked like she was going to be sick.

"Look, I'm sorry. Remind me?"

She just looked at him, not knowing how to continue.

"You don't…remember?"

"I—I'm—"

"You have no idea who I am, do you?"

The Doctor sighed silently.

"Not everything happens in order for me, you know. Linear paths don't always…meet," he waved his hand, not wanting to explain, "Wibbly-wobbly—"

"—timey-wimey," Avery finished, laughing to herself.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

She understood. In fact, everything was starting to make sense. His personal timeline was different from hers. Their meeting would never line up correctly. That's the thing about time travel—just bits and pieces, like a puzzle, endlessly trying to fit together.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Avery pushed her thoughts aside and began explaining everything to the Doctor. Poe sat with Martha, trying to make sense of their conversation.

"This is incredible. A piece of clockwork…" the Doctor wanted to see it for himself so badly, see the craftsmanship that went into building such a machine.

"Now, are you going to tell me who you are?"

Avery paused. She didn't know how much information she should divulge.

"Er—my name is Avery. Avery Talon."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Avery Talon. Could you tell me why you're stuck in 1845?"

"I never said I was stuck here."

"Isn't it obvious?"

She paused. "I don't think I should."

The Doctor thought about this. She was thinking this through. Divulging too much information about the future could have catastrophic consequences.

He nodded, "Best not. Now," he clapped his hands together, "where's this Raven of ours?"

"What, we're just gonna go out there and expect to find it?" Martha interjected.

"Based on what I've heard, this…beast sounds dangerous," Poe noted, still trying to keep up.

"Yeah, so?" the Doctor asked, as if the answer was obvious. "Come, on, we have Avery's taser. Let's get a closer look at it, see what we can find."

The three looked at the Doctor hesitantly, but eventually, all of them agreed. They quickly formulated a plan, constantly simplifying their terminology so Poe could understand.

"I think we're ready. Let's catch us a raven!" The Doctor slammed his hands on the table.

"Allons-y!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Poe ambled through the halls, turning random corners, entering and leaving rooms. It was hard to focus on the task at hand—his hands were trembling, and his knees were about to give out. The Doctor told him that this was good. Perfect, even.

Every so often, he would glance behind him, just to make sure they were still following him. He figured they must be scared as well, but of the four, he was surely the most susceptible to fear.

Poe began to grow anxious. He knew what was coming, but the anticipation was worse. He understood little of the information give about the Raven—he didn't know if he would live or die.

He felt as pulse of electricity course through his fingers as his palms began to sweat. Every little sound made him jump, and he could even sense the movement of his companions behind him.

Not too far away, they heard a heavy door slam.

Poe stumbled backwards, nearly falling into the Doctor. He held him in place, as his balance became unsteady. His thoughts were blurred, but his vision cleared—he was aware of every door that closed, and calculated how far away it was.

"It's working," the Doctor chuckled, satisfied with the experiment's outcome.

"W-what do I do? Doctor, what am I to do?"

"Just stand here, yes, right here. Now hold this," the Doctor handed him Avery's taser, but then snatched it right back, examining it.

"Is this _mine_?" he asked Avery.

"There's a time and place, Doctor," she grabbed it from him, handed it back to Poe, and briefly taught him how to use it.

Avery, Martha, and the Doctor wished Poe good luck and ran towards the music room.

He stood in the middle of the hallway, alone, with a foreign weapon in his hands, and was expected to disarm a flying robot that has taken the form of his greatest poetic creation.

He made a mental note—the Doctor owes him a huge favor.

Just around the corner, a small, black object hobbled into view. Clumps of feathers had been removed, and by what, Poe had no idea. Some of its internal mechanisms were visible, though not completely discernible.

All too quickly, the Raven flared its wings and hurtled towards Poe. With amplified reflexes, he lifted the taser, and before its talons could sink into his arm, the Raven twitched and stiffened, and fell to the ground. A metallic thud echoed through the hall as Poe stared at the motionless lump at his feet.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The Doctor, Martha, and Avery waited anxiously in the music room, listening for the signal Poe was to give once the Raven was disabled.

Martha was the one to break the silence, "So. Are you gonna tell us anything, now?"

Avery seemed startled by her bluntness, but sighed, "What is there to tell? It's obvious that I've met you before," she looked to the Doctor, "but you know what could happen if you know your own future."

The Doctor nodded.

"It was the Angels…"

Avery stared at him and looked like she was going to say something, but quickly closed her mouth.

"It's the only explanation I can think of."

Avery nodded slowly, looking down at her hands.

"You mean those…statues?" Martha remembered their last encounter with the Weeping Angels. They were stuck in 1969 for days.

"Now, if I know you in the future, why haven't I come back to get you?"

"Because you knew this would happen."

Just then, they heard Poe from down the hallway.

"Allons-y," they heard him yell he correct signal with a strained, quivering voice.

The three ran down the hall to find Poe. Once they turned a corner, they saw the Raven, motionless and obviously deactivated. Beside the Raven lay Poe, staring up at the ceiling with the taser still in his hands.

"Edgar?" the Doctor whispered in a concerned tone.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm emotionally compromised. Leave me to lie here and ponder your remuneration," he turned his head slowly and glared at the Doctor.

The Doctor took out his sonic and scanned the poet.

"Looks like he got a bit of a zap from the taser. He'll be alright."

He moved to the Raven. The blue light at the end of the sonic whirred longer than usual. He kept looking back at it and rescanning it, just to be sure he was reading it correctly.

"So, what is it?" Martha asked.

"I haven't the foggiest."

The three stared in disbelief. It wasn't too often when the Doctor admitted something like that.

"This technology—it's like nothing I've seen before. Much more complicated than clockwork. It's like it has a brain, it's intelligent. But there's nothing in here but a chunk of metal," he tapped the head of the Raven with his knuckle, which let off a metallic chime.

"You're right, Avery. This was sent on a reconnaissance mission—bunch of holding chambers inside here for temporary storage," he pushed some of the feathers aside to look further into the inner workings. "But to send such an advanced piece of equipment—"

"If they sent this to Earth, just to pick up some samples, all while it was at high risk of being…I dunno…destroyed—they might have these things just lying around. This was just one more they could spare," Martha theorized.

"You're absolutely right. This civilization could be more advanced than the Time Lords. If so, this is extremely very not good."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"You know, to be honest, that was really anticlimactic," the Doctor thought aloud as the four sat beside him.

The storm had passed, leaving behind a lovely snow day. The Doctor and Martha leaned against the TARDIS. It finally showed up again after they left the house, which irritated the Doctor.

The Raven didn't wake up or repair itself after Poe attacked it. They took it into the woods and burned it before burying it, just to be safe.

The house would be left abandoned.

"It's weird, not doing much," Martha added. "Nice having an easy day."

"Well, I'm glad you've all recovered," Poe interjected. "I should go back to the city—it's Christmas tomorrow, you know. You can come if you like."

"That's very kind of you, sir, but I think we'll be taking off. But I'll be seeing you again, you can count on that," the Doctor came up and hugged him, clapping his shoulders.

"And thanks for all your help. You did well."

Poe said goodbye to Martha and Avery before turning back to the Doctor.

"You owe me, Doctor…you owe me."

He turned on his heel and briskly walked down the cobblestone path.

Martha turned to Avery, "You're coming with us, right?" She turned to the Doctor for confirmation.

"Wait—I can? I thought when you—"

"Nope. I've got the TARDIS. I can take you wherever, whenever."

Avery smiled and gave both of them a hug. Soon, the three were in the TARDIS, heading for San Francisco, Avery's hometown.

"At least you don't have to deal with that Raven any more, eh?" Martha laughed.

Before Avery could respond, the Doctor interrupted.

"I don't think that's the last we'll see of the Raven," he murmured, still deep in thought.

Avery stepped out of the TARDIS with Martha and the Doctor behind her. They had landed just on the edge of the bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge was just in view.

"Well, I suppose we'll meet again," the Doctor smiled.

"I'll be here. Well…I'll be in—forget it," she laughed. She shouldn't tell him where she met him. Wibbly-wobbly…

In his peripheral, something caught the Doctor's attention. He turned his head, but whatever was there had vanished. He blinked a few times, just to be sure.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing…nothing. It's just—I thought—never mind."

With one more goodbye, the Doctor and Martha left. But the figure he saw...

But then he remembered—the only possible explanation…

_…It couldn't be…_


End file.
